If you were ever a theist...

[Edwardo Piet]

Agnostic atheism is often described as 'weak atheism' which is really just another synonym for 'agnostic atheism' but it isn't actually weak in any other sense, it's intellectually strong and honest.

I hope you're still enjoying AF, D. Good to have you.

[*Deidre*]

Agnostic atheism is often described as 'weak atheism' which is really just another synonym for 'agnostic atheism' but it isn't actually weak in any other sense, it's intellectually strong and honest.

I hope you're still enjoying AF, D. Good to have you.

I am enjoying it, thank you. Give or take a few people, lol. 

Agree about agnostic atheism. But, hopefully you are not inferring that theism isn't intellectually honest? (there are some theists who are not, however yes)

[Edwardo Piet]

Nah I was using that as an example.

Agnosticism is intellectually honest whether it's theistic or atheistic, provided that the person in question is honest, of course.

Give or take a few people... yeah... like EP.

[Edwardo Piet]

I just feel like a fucking annoyance sometimes lol. I'll go to bed soon anyway.

[*Deidre*]

Hmmm....maybe EP. lol

I like your take on agnosticism ...in that context too. Yea, agree.

[*Deidre*]

I just feel like a fucking annoyance sometimes lol. I'll go to bed soon anyway.

Yea, I know that feeling sometimes.
I tend to just retreat away when I feel someone thinks this of me. Maybe something to work on in this new year.

[Edwardo Piet]

I'm always feeling like an annoyance, just sometimes I feel even more of one.

[robvalue]

Evie: Annoyance? You are anything but.

(Guess who I voted for best overall forum member? )

Deidre: You are also anything but! You're lovely and it's really refreshing to talk to such an open minded theist.

As for atheism, "weak" atheism is just a description, as in it's not taking a really hard stance. It's not weak as in poor. It's more malleable, I guess. When people say they are "just agnostic", I would call that weak agnostic atheism. If you don't actively believe in a deity, you're an atheist, by definition. But if you also don't actively believe there isn't any deities, you're a weak atheist. It's the undecided default position.

However, you can be a "strong" atheist (an active belief that there are no deities) and still be agnostic. For example, I'm a strong atheist regarding the character Yahweh, but still agnostic. I don't deny the possibility of some cosmic coincidence where something vaguely resembling the character exists somewhere. How much it would actually match it is the issue, especially since the character isn't internally consistent by our understanding of logic and reality.

However! My problems are more fundamental. I don't know what a "deity" is. I have two "things" in front of me, one is a deity and one is an arbitrarily powerful non-deity. How do I tell the difference?

I hear tell of "breaking the laws of nature". However, all we do is model nature. We don't prescribe it. So obviously, if something can break a law, it's not a law. It just doesn't apply entirely how we have so far modelled it.

[Edwardo Piet]

Evie: Annoyance? You are anything but.

(Guess who I voted for best overall forum member? )

Oh my gosh Rob you're so kind to me

[robvalue]

You're welcome! You deserve it